Punch-Out!! To Hit In August, Only At JB Hi-Fi

Nintendo has confirmed that Punch-Out!! for Wii will be launching in Australia next month. The catch? You can only get it at one retailer.

Speaking to Kotaku late last week, Nintendo Australia managing director Rose Lappin revealed the eagerly-anticipated date and the retailer-exclusive agreement. When asked about the boxing title, which was released in the US and the UK last month, Lappin said:

"Yes, we are bringing Punch-Out in. It's coming in late August, but as an exclusive with one retailer."

When asked if she could say which retailer, Lappin said: "Yep, it's JB Hi-Fi."

"To be honest we didn't have a lot of requests for the game," she contined. "There's a few people... there's a lot of noise but not a lot of sales, that sort of thing. However there was one retailer that was chasing it, so that's why we've decided to go that way. Of course, if it continues and consumers want it then that's what we're here for. At the end of the day if we don't support consumers then we don't have a business. We're certainly here to work with what people want."

So, basically, most retailers weren't excited by Punch-Out!!, at least in terms of how many copies they could sell. However, JB Hi-Fi were a little excited - understandably, given the boxing sim's NES heritage positions it as something of a core gamer's game - and have arranged an exclusive with Nintendo.

Expect an exact release date to be confirmed soon. UPDATE: Looks like the date is August 27, according to the listing on the Nintendo Channel, as reported by Vooks. (Thanks Jordan!)

So, since it would seem not many of you were interested in preordering Punch-Out!! before, who's now keen to pick it up next month?

Comments

Aaron Clement Guest

Jul 14, 2009, 9:16am

Would explain why there's been absolutely no advertising/preview box or anything in EB. Also wonder if JB will stick this up for full price, given there's no competition for the title?

I dont think its so much an exclusive deal as they were the only ones who were interested in stocking it.
She says that if consumers want it they wont dissapoint so its only an exclusive deal until anyone else offers to stock it.

So those of us without JBs locally have to order online, which means there's absolutely no reason to get the local release unless JB offer it for a stupid low price like $50. If I'm buying it online anyway, why get it from them when I could import from the UK and get it earlier and cheaper?

Hmmm... might have to pick this up on launch day as a birthday gift to myself. I used to play the SNES version on the eight-hour flight to Kuala Lumpur in the in-flight entertainment on Malaysia Airlines.

Nintendo Australia has lost the friggin plot. If you don't show people what they don't have how can they ask for it.

See they use stupid metrics i imagine of well there is X,000 wii's in australia now but only 2% of those are going give me punch out. PO is not a casual game really unlike stupid crap that generally comes out on the system. The casual has ruined it for all in Australia (i support casual gaming a lot, but if its going to do this to the hardcore then ffs...) because Nintendo Australia will only bring games in it sounds like if it has the anticipation and frothing mouth of games like Wii fit, which will just never happen

good luck with metroid guys who won't import, you're going to need it with the complete non-understanding market forces people running NOA right now.

Gee, thanks Nintendo. Two body blows in the one day (see the Exitbots post for the other bad news). I live in a regional area with no JB. I am 36 years old and have never pre-ordered a game. So will EB or Target or Kmart be able to order it in? I'm seriously thinking about swapping my Wii for a PSP. Even the PSP has a larger amount of quality games than the Wii. I am starting to despise this turkey of a console. The console it reminds me the most of is one of those 16 different versions of Pong machines that were all the go 30 odd years ago. It's amazing for the first month and then, due to lack of content- gathers dust until they invent the Atari Equivalent ( maybe that new 360 motion sensing thing)

It will be interesting to see what price JB sell it for - surely if they dont sell it for $20 below the RRP like they normally do with new release games then they are just trying to Rip Off the customers who are loyal to them.

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